Your Last Day
by Fallen Crest
Summary: AU. When you know death is coming, will you run? What will happen after you die? All those who die never know what happens in the real world after their death. But Ed does. Not that he wants to. He doesn't even want to die, but it was the Colonel's order. It was his mission...to let Hawkeye kill him.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist **

**A/N: So I wanted Ed to sing this song, but it would be boring as just a one shot so as I was listening to Requiem For a Dream, I thought up of a story that would allow me to incorporate him singing the song. So here for we go!**

**By the way, this takes place when Ed is 14 and Al is 12. It takes place before the manga so it is a bit of an AU since there will be an appearance by the Briggs soldiers. **

**Your Last Day **

**Chapter 1**

Cramped and Suffocating.

That was how Edward was feeling at this moment. It was extremely uncomfortable and he wanted nothing more than to escape from this feeling, but of course, he was kind of stuck here for a while.

Go figure that this was all that damn Colonel's fault.

How the hell did something like this happen? All he wanted was to enjoy a two week vacation from work by relaxing with his brother in Resembool. But noooo. Even on his day offs that damn Colonel just had to pull him back to Central right after he arrived in Resembool with his brother. He had always known that Mustang was an evil psychopath who enjoyed overworking poor kids who weren't allowed to say no.

So now instead of being in Resembool and celebrating Al's birthday, who only wanted the chance to go back home and spread his birthday with Winry, Granny Pinako, and Ed, he had to disappoint his baby brother. Even if Al couldn't show it, Edward knew his brother was upset. Ignoring the fact that he could hear the disappointment in Al's voice, Ed knew his brother well enough to know that he was very upset over this fact. That was why Ed was determined to get this job done quickly and make it back to Resembool in time for Al's birthday.

So was the plan until he actually arrived in Central. Why the hell was Mustang even in Central anyway? He was supposed to be stationed in the east but when he called Ed in Resembool he said to come to Central, which just doubled the annoyance Ed was feeling for his superior. That would just make the trip longer.

And yet the moment he arrived he found that this trip was going to take a very, very long time. That thought was only reinforced by the fact that he was in a coffin six feet under! Damn that Colonel for dragging him into this.

***5*Days*Ago***

"Damn Colonel." Edward grumbled as he ambled off the train with his hands shoved into his pockets. "He's going to owe me big time for this."

"Sheesh, Chief. You seem more agitated then usual." A cheerful voice whispered in the boy's ear, which caused the boy to jerk in surprise and spin around to get a face full of cigarette smoke. He gasped in surprise, which caused him to gulp down more of the smoke so he started to gag and cough into his hands. "Oh, shit."

Ed glared at the frantic looking Lieutenant Havoc whose blue eyes were staring in horror at him. He immediately noticed that the man was wearing regular clothes, instead of his uniform, which he found strange since he thought the Lieutenant was here to pick him up.

"Chief, sorry about that. Don't tell Hawkeye about this. She'll kill me if you die of secondhand smoking." Havoc said worriedly.

Ed rolled his eyes, coughed once more into his hands, and stood up straight. "Havoc, you know how I live, correct?"

Sighing, Havoc ran a hand through his spiky blond hair. "Equivalent Exchange, correct? What do you want in return for your silence?" He muttered.

Grinning, Ed shoved his hands in his pocket once more. "Why was I called out here on my vacation?"

"Come on, Chief, you know I don't have the authority to answer such things." Havoc said with a frown.

"Then I guess Lieutenant Hawkeye will love to know how you poisoned me." Edward replied thoughtfully as he turned to head towards the exit of the station.

Grumbling, Havoc grabbed Ed's forgotten suitcase and followed the boy to the awaiting vehicle outside the station. Though it seemed Ed didn't notice it as he walked right past it until the car door opened and Mustang stepped out into the boy's path. To Ed's surprise, the Colonel was also out of his uniform. He was dressed in a black suit with a dark blue shirt underneath it.

Golden eyes blinked at the man once before his face was set into a scowl. "Son of a–" His growl stopped short and he glared angrily at his superior. "I thought I would have at least had a little bit of time before I had to deal with _you_ again. Why hell did you call me out here, Mustang? You know I was on vacation! You allowed it!"

Ignoring the boy for a moment, Mustang opened the car door to the back seat and motioned towards it. "Get in."

Ed continued to glare at his superior with a stubborn frown. Rolling his eyes at the boy's stubbornness, Mustang put a hand on his back and shoved the boy none too gently into the car and slammed the door shut behind him. Ed landed with a flop facedown on the back seat, which caused him to growl in annoyance and push himself up.

"What the hell, Colonel?" He snapped as Havoc climbed into the driver's seat and Mustang into the passenger's seat.

"We're on a tight schedule." Mustang replied.

The teenager blinked before he looked out the window with a frown. "This is not the direction of Headquarters." He commented as he had been in Central a few times so he knew the route there. His comment was ignored by both adults so Ed sighed and crossed his arms before leaning back on the seat with his eyes glued on the window.

The car's passengers lapsed into silence. While Mustang and Havoc were fine and calm with the silence, Edward was getting fidgety. He was never one to like silence as he has always been such a loud boy. Add that to the fact that he felt like he has been kidnapped and he doesn't have a clue as to where he is being taken, it has made him quite anxious.

"Colonel," Ed muttered.

"You will know soon enough." Mustang interrupted.

Ed growled softly to himself. "Is this even a military mission? You have always given me my jobs at the office."

"Where is Alphonse?" Mustang asked, ignoring Ed's inquires.

"Resembool." Ed muttered. "I was on vacation for his birthday when you forced me to come here."

Mustang raised a brow. "His birthday? You never took it off before. Why would you now?"

"What do you care?" Ed snapped. "You obviously don't as you forced me here for unknown reasons without even asking why I couldn't be here. You didn't even ask why I was asking for a vacation when I first requested it. We could have been in a lot of trouble or really stressed out and needed the vacation, but you didn't care. My vacation was just getting me out of your hair anyway. That was all you cared about!"

The Colonel turned around in his seat to glare at the boy. "I didn't ask because you have never asked for a break before and I believed you deserved one. Plus at the time, there were no new leads, nor did I have any important missions for you."

"Then why, after only having two days off, have you called me back?" Edward demanded.

"Why did you take a break off for Alphonse's birthday this year?" Mustang retorted. "It's equivalent exchange, right, Fullmetal?"

Growling to himself, Edward turned back to the window. As he turned his head, he caught a brief glance of Havoc's tense shoulders. It seems this argument was making him uncomfortable. "There were no new leads and Al wanted a break. It was the only thing he wanted for his birthday this year. He wanted to go home and celebrate it with Winry, Granny Pinako, and me." He said bitterly. "But of course, you just had to drag me away, even though you just said there are no new missions."

Turning back around, Mustang sighed. "They weren't, but something came up. There's a parade in two days."

Ed blinked and turned back to his superior with a scowl. "You brought me back for a parade?" He asked angrily.

"No." Mustang ran a hand through his sleek black hair. "Don't interrupt. This parade will start and end at Central Command. The soldiers are expected to march in. Groups of soldiers from the north, east, south, and west were ordered here to participate in it, particularly those who served in Ishval. Since the war with Ishval ended five years ago, it is being celebrated."

Ed snorted. "Nothing worth celebrating."

Mustang shot him a glare for the interruption. "That is quite true, but it is an order. The parade will feature floats and a performance by a college band during the parade. At the end of it, which will be at Central Headquarters, there will be a ceremony that will allow both civilians and soldiers to attend."

"And why did you have to bring me here for this? It has nothing to do with me!" Ed protested, glaring out the window. He wondered what Alphonse and Winry were doing right now. Al's birthday wasn't for nine more days. He just hoped that he could make it back to Resembool for that. He could only celebrate turning thirteen once.

"You will learn soon." Mustang replied.

"I am really starting to hate that answer." Edward grumbled.

"Did you get the special automail?" Mustang asked.

Sighing, Ed turned back to his superior. "Yes, I got Northern automail. I didn't even know it existed. Why do I need it?"

The Colonel nodded to himself. "Good, good. There is a chance we'll have to go north. It's best for you to have it installed beforehand."

"North, huh?" The boy looked at his automail hand and opened and closed it a few times. When the Colonel called him up two nights ago, he was ordered back to Central, but before he could do that, he was to change his automail to northern automail. It had confused the hell out of Edward so he mentioned it to Winry, who was incredibly excited about getting the chance to try northern automail. Though he was a bit unsure, Ed let Winry and Granny Pinako do what they needed to. Surprisingly, he was very happy with the results since the northern automail was much lighter than his old automail. He felt so much lighter. Something he hasn't felt in years. "What's up north?"

And once more, he was ignored and just fell into silence. Mustang never gave him information until it was time.

Forty minutes later Havoc slowed the car down near a warehouse. He pulled up to a door that was the size of a garage door and honked his horn in three short bursts. In the back seat, Ed raised a brow, curious as to what was going on.

A few moments later the doors were lifted, and to Ed's surprise, it was opened by Breda and Falman, who like Havoc, were dressed in regular clothes. With the door opened, Havoc drove into the warehouse. Ed twisted around in his seat to see Breda and Falman closing the door.

"What the hell is going on, Colonel?" Edward demanded, confused and very curious now.

Once again, Edward was ignored as the two adults chose to climb out of the car instead of replying to him. Getting more and more annoyed with all the ignored questions, Ed clambered out of the car and was able to fully see the inside of the warehouse. Instead of just being filled with crates, this warehouse was filled with them but they were lining the walls and going a bit inwards to make it look like the warehouse was filled with only crates. But it wasn't, and Ed knew this because Havoc drove far enough into it to bring them to the center of the warehouse which was empty of crates. Though it was empty of crates, it was not empty at all. All around were tables that were piled with files, communication equipment, guns, and ammo. On one side of the area was a movable whiteboard and a movable bulletin board. On the bulletin board was a map of the country with red and blue pins on it and red lines drawn all over the place. The whiteboard had notes written on it, but what really caught his attention about the board was that in big green letters it said, "Target: Fullmetal."

Target? Target for what? As far as he knew he didn't make any big enemies that it would require all of this to be happening in secret or to have this many soldiers around. This warehouse was full of soldiers, who were working on something or just lazing around as they waited for something. Even though they were all dressed as civilians, Ed knew they were soldiers. If not because of the way they were standing or handling the weapons, then because there was no way that Mustang would let civilians get involved in….whatever this was.

From one of the tables, Kain Fuery looked up from his radios and transmitters and smiled at Edward. "Hey Ed."

Ed blinked. "Hey, Fuery." He replied before looking back at the whiteboard in confusion. Why was someone targeting him?

"Fullmetal." Mustang barked without stopping as he was walking away from Ed. "Follow."

Rolling his eyes, Edward ran after his superior to catch up with him. When he reached him, he slowed his pace as he was led through an alley that was between two rows of crates. He figured that Mustang was leading him to a private area that would be used as his office here. What an egotistical bas–

Ed's thoughts cut themselves off when he saw that the area Mustang led him to was a square shaped area between the crates, but it was not designed like an office. It was designed like a small bedroom. It only contained a bed, a dresser, and a few books. Confused, Ed spun around to face his superior. When he did that, Mustang put his hand on his chest and pushed him onto the bed.

"This is your room for the duration of your stay here in Central." Mustang said, watching Ed's expression carefully.

As Mustang expected, Edward was shocked and started to look around at the small area his superior had claimed he was going to be living in. It was so small, Ed would have thought that the Colonel was making a sarcastic joke about his height, but the dark expression Mustang was wearing and the fact that a smirk was missing cut that thought off for Ed.

"I think I'll just stay in the dorms or better yet, find a hotel." Ed said, attempting to climb to his feet, but Mustang pushed him back down.

"I can't let you do that, Fullmetal. There is a reason I ordered you here." Mustang replied.

"And you've yet to tell me!" Ed retorted, stubbornly causing his arms. He noticed Havoc entering the small area with his suitcase, which he put at the end of the bed before standing behind Mustang. Brows furrowed, Ed frowned once more. "Where's Lieutenant Hawkeye?"

Mustang released a deep breath before looking directly into Ed's bright, confused gold eyes. "She is preparing to kill you."

**A/N: Please Review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist **

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! **

**Your Last Day **

**Chapter 2**

Ed's eyes squinted in the darkness. He didn't think he would ever be scared of anything. There was so much shit that he has had to deal with in his life that he thought he could handle anything. Well, that was a huge misconception on his part. Being buried alive was not fun. He couldn't move around. He couldn't talk because it would waste the little precious air that he had. Not to mention that it was so damn dark that he couldn't even see his hand an inch from his face. If he didn't know that freaking out would waste his air, he would be freaking out. He did not like this one bit!

It was too dark. Too quiet. And there was too little air. He could seriously die in here.

And then there was his brother. No doubt the news of his death has already spread all over the country. Al and Winry were probably freaking out around right now. He had told him he would be back before they knew it, and yet, now he has hurt them greatly instead. His boss knew it would hurt them. Edward tried to get him to let him tell them what was going on so they wouldn't think he was truly dead, but the Colonel had refused outright. Mustang said that they were not trained for these kind of lies. They couldn't know the truth.

***2*Days*Ago***

A large hand clamped down on Ed's shoulder. "Ready, Ed?"

Ed's left eye twitched angrily. "No, I am not ready. But I am ready to kick Al's ass for letting it slip to Mustang that I can play guitar!" He growled and pushed Hughes's hand off his shoulder. He had met the man yesterday when Ed was brought to Central Headquarters to meet the band he had to perform with and get in some practice. They were all lucky Ed's a prodigy and learned it quickly. Plus it helped that the band already got the music they were singing from Havoc, who had raided Ed's stuff a few months back and found some song sheets since he did write songs a bit sometimes. Ed swore he was never going to have anything to do with music after this. Curse them all.

"It won't be that bad. Just have some fun with this." Hughes said with a grin at the boy. "And after the show, you have to meet my daughter and wife. They are coming to see the ceremony."

The scowl on Ed's face faltered. After the show…? If only such a time existed. "Child? There's going to be kids here?"

Hughes gave him a strange look. "Of course there will be. It's a parade followed by a ceremony that ends with you giving a performance. It will be fun for them and give them somewhat of a history lesson. Not to mention, they get to see their hero, the Fullmetal Alchemist, perform a song. It will be a grand day so just have fun, okay?" The Intelligence officer gave the boy a kind smile and patted him on the back before going back to where the floats, soldiers, and college band were.

Oh, no! There was no way in hell he could do this! Those kids….they didn't deserve to see this. He had to get out of here now! Not only has he not performed since before the human transmutation, he has never performed in front of people. And now there was the Colonel's stupid operation. No, this just could not happen.

Ed spun around to run away, only to run straight in a hard chest. He tilted his head up to see Mustang's dark eyes staring down at him with a smirk. "Going somewhere, Fullmetal?"

"Colonel, I can't do this. There'll be kids here. There'll be people here who see me as the hero of the people. I can't do this, not to them, not to Al, or Winry. I can't." Edward protested.

The Colonel looked up at the parade preparing to head out soon and sighed. He clamped his hand down on Ed's shoulder and led him into headquarters. A word was not said between them until there made it to the Colonel's temporary office. The only other officer in there was Havoc. "Yo, Boss, Chief."

"Shouldn't you be outside preparing for the parade?" Ed asked confused.

"Nope. I was brought here as your guard, not a soldier for the parade." Havoc replied with a grin. "Which basically means that I am here to make sure you don't try to run away."

Mustang rolled his eyes. "You aren't doing a good job. He just tried to leave."

A sheepish grin passed over Havoc's face. "Well, he seemed fine earlier."

"And now he knows kids and his fans will be here." Mustang said as he pushed Ed down into a chair. He sat in a chair opposite of the boy. "Look, Fullmetal, I know this will be hard for you, but it has to be done. This is to help the country. The beginning may be rough and a bit shaky, but it is for a better end result."

"Do I really have to die?" Ed said weakly. "In front of all of them? It will scare them and put all the civilians in a panic."

Mustang locked his hands together and pointed his two index fingers at the boy. "That is what we are aiming for. I know it will be hard, but I need you to trust us, Fullmetal. Trust in Hawkeye's sniper skills. She is called The Hawk's Eye for a reason. It's too late anyway. The operation has already begun."

"Why does it have to be me?" Ed muttered.

"We need the reaction from the civilians." Mustang replied with a sigh. "I already explained this all to you, Fullmetal."

"Al." Ed muttered to himself. "He'll kill me himself when this is all over."

Smiling slightly, Mustang stood up and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "You'll see, it'll be fine." He nodded to Havoc and left the office for the parade.

"Right," Havoc clapped his hands as the door closed behind Mustang. He turned to his youngest boss and smirked. "Time to get you suited up."

"Huh?" Ed said blankly.

Havoc rolled his eyes and moved over to the desk he was previously sitting at. He pulled a box out from under it. "Hawkeye is a great sniper, but even she can't stop a bullet from killing you, Chief." The box was dropped onto the desk and rummaged through until a black vest was pulled from it. "Bulletproof vest."

"A bulletproof vest?" Ed echoed in disbelief. He looked at the vest with a look of distaste. "That thing is supposed to help me?"

"Don't worry. It's been tested. You'll be perfectly fine." Havoc tossed the vest at the boy. "Put it on under your shirt."

Edward stared at the black vest in his hands with disdain.

"Look, Chief, I know this will be difficult for you…"

Ed shot him a glare. "Oh, do you? Have you ever faked your death? Have you ever hurt the only family you have left like this?"

The blond haired Lieutenant gave a weak shrug. "No, but that's because I have never been as important as a certain somebody." He clapped the boy on the shoulder. "Just remember, it is to protect all the people of this country, and that includes your brother and your mechanic."

***5*Days*Ago***

"What?!" Ed shouted loud enough for all the soldiers in the warehouse to hear him. Most of them grimaced at the scream. All they knew was that Edward was a target, but they had no idea of what Mustang was going to do about it. They figured he would just put the boy in protective custody.

Mustang shushed the boy. "Quiet Fullmetal."

"Quiet? Quiet?! You want me to be quiet? You're going t–" Edward was still shouting so with a sigh, Mustang motioned to Havoc.

Nodding to his boss, Havoc jumped forward and slammed his hand over the boy's mouth and pinned Ed's arms to his side with his other arm. "Chief, you need to calm down."

Ed ripped his arms free and tore Havoc's hand off his mouth. "You're letting Hawkeye execute me! How can I calm down? I can't die! Not yet!" He shot a frantic look at his boss. "Colonel, please tell me you aren't serious or I misheard you!"

"Did I stutter?" Mustang retorted. "In three days' time, Lieutenant Hawkeye is going to snipe you in front of everyone."

"Whatever I did to anger you, I'm sorry!" Edward said frantically.

Havoc laughed. "Geez, Chief, relax. He's not mad at you."

"Yeah right!" Ed snorted. "He shouldn't be planning my murder if he's not mad at me. Let me guess. You already have my coffin picked out?"

"As a matter of fact, I have found one that I like." Mustang replied, smirking at the boy.

Ed blinked at him. "Oh, I get it. You have gone crazy!" He shouted before deflating and slouching. "What I don't get is why Hawkeye is going along with it. I didn't think she hated me."

"No one hates you." Mustang said.

"Tell me that when you aren't planning my death and funeral!" Ed protested weakly.

Sighing, Mustang rubbed his eyes. "It's a fake death!"

Ed blinked. "What the hell? Why would I want to fake my death? And what do I need a coffin for if I am faking death?"

"You know of the tension that we have with our neighbors up north, correct?" Mustang asked.

"Course. There will probably always be tensions with them. It seems that we cannot just negotiate peaceful terms with them." Edward replied with a frown as he was extremely confused with where all of this was coming from.

Mustang nodded. "Right. Well, it seems that some Drachman spies have managed to slip into the country. They want to start a war with us so they managed to get these spies into the country."

"Yeah, question!" Edward interrupted with his hand half-raised. "How do you know there are Drachman spies here? I mean if they're spies, they are not going to publicly announce they are here."

"Do you doubt your military that much?" Mustang asked, raising a brow at his youngest subordinate.

"Well, if they got into the country…" Edward trailed off.

"Funny." Mustang replied dryly. "Have you never laid a trap?"

Ed's brows furrowed. "I don't really get the trap here."

"We want to lure them out and capture them for a little interrogation." Mustang said, smirking. "After all, a country can't survive without a bit of Intel."

Golden eyes widened in shock. "Colonel, I'm not trained for this kind of stuff. You know I was never trained to be a proper soldier. This has the potential to go horribly wrong!"

"Three days, Fullmetal. You're a prodigy. You can learn everything you need to know in three days." Mustang replied. "And Lieutenant Havoc here is going to be at your side the whole time to help you along."

"Who all knows about this operation?" Ed muttered.

"The only ones in on this are all the soldiers in this warehouse and Lieutenant Hawkeye. The soldiers that are guarding the north have no idea we are setting a trap for spies that got passed them. The Fuhrer and all the Generals, they don't even know." Mustang explained, and that just shocked Ed. He had thought the higher-ups basically knew everything. "But the only ones who know you are going to die are Havoc, Breda, Hawkeye, myself, and you. Everyone else is in the dark, and it will stay that way."

"Death!" Ed shouted. "Winry and Alphonse."

"No." Mustang said coldly.

"But Colonel, I can't let them believe that I am dead. That is just horribly cruel." Edward said pleadingly.

Mustang stared at the boy with cold black eyes. "We all have to do things that are cruel, Fullmetal. I cannot allow you to tell anyone what is going to happen. Anyone could overhear you, then word would spread around. The whole plan would be ruined."

"I could head back to Resembool and–" Ed started.

"No." Mustang said before the boy could finish. "There is no time. Doing that will interfere with your preparation for your death and this mission. Besides, I cannot allow civilians to know anything about this operation. It could put them in grave danger. They do not have the skills or training to handle this type of knowledge. And if they know your death is fake, they will not act properly about hearing about it and people will start to notice. They are not allowed to know."

"Can't you kill someone else off?" Edward demanded.

Havoc shook his head. "It has to be you."

"Why? Why does it have to be me? I'm a kid!" Edward retorted, partly out of fear and partly because he couldn't do this. He couldn't do this to his precious baby brother.

"Your position." Mustang answered simply. Though it was a simple answer, it just confused Ed even more.

"Position?" He questioned.

The Colonel sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Do you know what your position is?"

"A State Alchemist, but there are quite a few of those around. Why not just use one of them?" Ed suggested.

"I don't know them or trust them enough." Mustang replied, frowning at the boy. Was he really that blind to his position? "And that wasn't what I meant. You are the youngest State Alchemist out there, the baby of the group essentially." While Ed looked insulted and ready to yell at him, Mustang prowled on before he could. "Baby of the military, but you are one of the strongest people out there, and even people in other countries know that. You are a threat to them, a very dangerous threat. While a threat to our enemies, you are held up as a hero to the civilians of our country, hence the title "Hero of the People." Then you are the pride of the state, our very own prodigy. If you are taken out, what do you think will happen?"

Ed blinked. "I'll be dead, leaving behind my poor brother who will no longer have any family left."

Ignoring his subordinate, Mustang answered his own question. "That's right. The civilians will be in chaos. Their hero has just been taken out by the enemy. It will cause a huge a panic and such a hatred for our enemies and then we will go to war after we found out who did it of course. But the moral of the people will be down because the military did not do its job and let one of our comrades, a very prized State Alchemist, get killed."

Ed blinked. "Don't you think that I might be held on too high of a pedestal? I don't think a single death will cause such a thing."

"Which is why you must die." Mustang continued on without even giving any indication that he heard Edward.

"I personally think you just want to kill me." Edward protested. "I mean, I know we've had our disagreements, but don't you think this is a bit extreme, even for you?"

"Of course the Drachman spies cannot murder you themselves. They don't want to leave any trace of them being here behind which is where Lieutenant Hawkeye comes in." Mustang continued on, still not replying to his young subordinate.

"Hey, are you ignoring me?" Edward asked annoyed. "You have such an inflated ego. Will you listen to me, Mustang?"

"Lieutenant Hawkeye has gone undercover as an ace assassin that has been hired by the Drachman spies to murder you at the end of the parade in three days." Mustang said.

Ed scowled. "Seems a bit extreme to just capture some spies."

Mustang smirked. "Fullmetal, we may know the spies are here, but we don't know where they are or exactly what they plan to do. We need to lure them out, which is the purpose of your death."

"AH-HA!" Ed shouted, pointing at his superior. "So you did hear everything I said."

"Yes," Mustang rolled his eyes. "But were you even listening to me?"

"Why would I want to? You're preparing to murder me." Ed muttered.

Havoc chuckle. "A fake murder, Chief."

"Doesn't matter. You guys still have plans to murder me." Edward retorted.

***2*Days*Ago***

Standing in front of one of the windows in the office, Edward watched the parade begin by a group of soldiers marching out into the street with some of them holding flags with the country's symbol on them. They were followed by some floats.

"How long do you think the parade will last?" Ed asked as he tugged at the edge of the black vest he was wearing.

"Considering they have to move slowly, perhaps a few hours at the most." Havoc replied as a car filled with a beauty pageant queen moved out. For the kiddies, soldiers and people sitting in the cars were given bags of candy to toss to the kids.

More floats forward the car, and that set of floats was followed by another car which the Colonel was sitting in with Breda driving.

"Doesn't anyone find it weird that Hawkeye didn't come here with the Colonel?" Edward asked with a frown. Whenever he saw the Colonel, Hawkeye was close by.

"We used the excuse that someone had to look after the office in the east and Hawkeye was the best for the job. The soldiers have been informed to follow that story if they don't want to be court martial." Havoc explained. Following the Colonel's car was a few more floats, then the band came next.

"It sounds like an abuse of power." Edward replied. "Is the Fuhrer participating in this?"

Havoc nodded. "Yeah, he is going to be in the last car, which like all the other cars, is surrounded by armed soldiers." He turned away from the window and picked up a shining object from the desk. "Anyway, we need a bit more."

Groaning, Ed turned away from the window to glare at the object in Havoc's hand. "I am really, really hating you guys right now."

"We know." Havoc replied with a smirk. "Now sit down. We need to do this now, then you need to eat and finish getting dress."

"Argh, I don't think I can keep anything down." Ed muttered as he collapsed in a chair.

Havoc chuckled. "And here I thought you never got nervous."

***2 Hours Later***

Twin golden orbs stared at the Fuhrer, who was finishing his speech with annoyance shining in them. The parade had gone off without a hitch, which just upset Ed. He was hoping something would happen so he wouldn't have to replace the Fuhrer on that stage in a few minutes to perform a song. A song! Who in their right mind had a music performance at a military parade? And by a teenager State Alchemist, nonetheless!

A hand clapped down on Ed's shoulder, drawing his attention back to Havoc, who was standing behind him. "Ready for this, Chief?" He asked cheerfully.

Ed gave him a deadpanned look. "I am walking to my death. How can anyone be ready for that?" He hissed quietly.

Havoc ignored him as he chose to look the boy up and down. In true Ed-fashion-sense, the boy was wearing all black. He had on black slacks, black boots, a black muscle shirt, a black jacket that he had zipped up three quarters of the way, and black gloves. Under all his clothes was, of course, the bullet proof vest that only a handful of people knew about. The only thing not black was his silver pocket watch and the military tags that he was wearing around his neck, which were silver. Havoc had given them to him just a few minutes ago, as he jokingly said, a parting gift. Ed had glared at him for the joke, but put the tags on anyway. Apparently Mustang and Havoc had wanted him wearing something that soldiers wore when he died, besides the pocket watch that he had in his pocket and hanging on a belt loop. There were two tags. One was just "Major Edward Elric" with the Amestrian Dragon on the back, while the other said "Fullmetal" on the front and the back was his teacher's signature. They were specially made him.

"This is highly embarrassing." Edward commented as he turned back to face the stage.

Havoc chuckled. "Really? You're going to feel embarrassed when this is just to cause your death?"

"You're right. That is more concerning." Ed deadpanned.

"And now to wrap up our fun filled day," Bradley announced.

"Oh great." Ed muttered. "Let the torture start."

"The Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric," Bradley said, motioning to where Ed was standing with Havoc.

"Remember keep your expression neutral. We don't want to alert anyone that something is going to happen." Havoc whispered quickly to Ed.

"Will perform a song for us." Bradley finished.

Ed twitched. "I was wrong. This is more embarrassing then worrying about my death. I'm a bloody State Alchemist, not a singer. You are all going to go tone deaf." He muttered to Havoc, who just laughed again, and held out a black and silver acoustic guitar to the boy. Ed took it without a glance at him. "So, any parting words you'd let to give me?"

"I think I should be the one asking you that." Havoc retorted, smirking as he pulled out a cigarette. "You'll be fine, Chief."

Ed shot him a look of disbelief. Fine? He was going to get shot. How was he going to be fine?

Scowling, Edward walked onto the stage where he kneeled down and put his guitar down as the soldiers finished getting the podium off the stage and helped the band get their instruments and amps on the stage. Resting his elbows on his knees, Edward put his chin in his upturned palms as he glanced around. He noticed his superior standing at the edge of the crowd near the stairs on that side of the stage. Feeling agitated, the boy shot him a glare, which the Colonel just responded to with a shrug. It's not like he, the Colonel that is, wanted to send the boy to his death. It's just that he was the only one who could die.

Once the instruments were all set up and the band members were ready, Ed glanced over his shoulder at them to receive the nods from them that it was time to start. Sighing, Ed picked up his guitar and said one last thing to himself, "Time to die."

He so hated his life at this moment.

**A/N: Please Review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or the song "If Today Was Your Last Day" by Nickelback**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! **

**Your Last Day **

**Chapter 3**

Edward looked over at all the soldiers and civilians, who had their eyes trained on him. He swallowed nervously. Why, oh why did he have to do this? He knew how to play guitar, but he never played in front of an audience. Only his mother and Al ever heard him. And he couldn't even sing! Who lets a tone deaf boy sing? Well, if that's the way they wanted it, they can go deaf!

Hughes's bright green eyes caught Ed's before they could look away. The man gave him a reassuring smile, though it didn't make Ed feel any better. He just wanted to escape from everything right now so badly. He fingered the guitar pick in his automail hand for a moment before resting it on the strings.

The first note of the song came from one of the guitar players behind Edward. It was followed by the drum and other electric guitar before Edward joined in before he started singing.

_My best friend gave me the best advice_

The voice that came from Edward was one that no one was expecting. Because it actually sounded very pleasant to listen to. It wasn't rough or harsh. It sounded like a well-trained voice, and Ed said he couldn't sing! Mustang scoffed at that. Just how many talents did this boy have?_  
_

_He said each day's a gift and not a given right_

Havoc grimaced. That line couldn't be more right, especially when referring to soldiers. There is a chance that a soldier would die any day. It was a gift to them to be able to survive each day. He had to wonder how Ed was feeling right about now. His song was a sad song that mentioned death a lot, and here he was, walking right towards his death. It must be hard to think about.

On the other hand, Hughes grinned at the line. Maybe this song would help it get through Mustang's head and teach him that he should get a wife already and start a family. _  
_

_Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind  
And try to take the path less traveled by_

Mustang smirked to himself. That sounded just like the determined brat on the stage. That was the path he had chosen. The path that hardly anyone went on because of the danger and fears that were laid on it. But since it was Edward Elric, The Fullmetal Alchemist, there was no doubt that he couldn't survive it. _  
_

_That first step you take is the longest stride  
_

Ed's eyes closed briefly. His heart was pounding so rapidly against his chest that it was actually hurting. He wasn't sure if it was from his nerves of singing in front of a crowd or the fact that he was going to die soon. It was probably both. But that didn't matter. He was the Fullmetal Alchemist! He would get through this, and come back to face Al's and Winry's wrath, which was probably scarier than anything else.

The instruments stopped playing for a moment with only the echo of the drum in the background as the next line was sung. _  
If today was your last day_

On the last few words of the line, the drum and guitars started playing again. _  
_

_And tomorrow was too late  
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?_

Ed almost winced at those words. He was the one who wrote the song one day after he had almost died and was in the hospital. He was so scared that he was going to leave his little brother and friends behind during the incident which is how the song came into existence. And yet, here he knew he was going to die, even if it was fake, and he did nothing. He didn't say goodbye to anyone or do anything in his last days, but prepare for this stupid song. If he ever knew he was going to die for real some day and had time to prepare, he would probably suck at it and no one would know until it was too late. _  
Would you live each moment like your last?  
Leave old pictures in the past_

'_**Remember, Al? We destroyed all of our pictures before we left Resembool.'**_ Ed thought sadly. He didn't want to destroy all those pictures, but they had no use for them anymore so they were all destroyed so the boys could move forward. _  
_

_Donate every dime you have?  
If today was your last day  
_

On a roof not that far away, Riza Hawkeye grimaced. She was looking through her scope so she was able to read the words that Edward was singing. Those words were so ironic right now, and she had no doubt that Edward was thinking the same thing. She was going to kill a teenager for a mission. This has to be one of the worst undercover missions she has ever taken.

_Against the grain should be a way of life  
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight  
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try  
So live like you'll never live it twice  
Don't take the free ride in your own life  
_

Mustang smirked at the lyrics. _**'But the ironic thing, Fullmetal, is that I will give you a second chance.'**__  
_

_If today was your last day_

Once again, the instruments cut off until the last two words of that line. _  
_

_And tomorrow was too late  
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?  
Would you live each moment like your last?  
Leave old pictures in the past  
Donate every dime you have?  
Would you call old friends you never see?  
Reminisce old memories  
Would you forgive your enemies?  
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?  
Swear up and down to God above_

Mustang raised a brow at the lyrics. He had thought that Fullmetal didn't believe in God.

Ed closed his eyes briefly. To him, God was unreachable. He didn't believe, but that never stopped him from referring to God. He stepped on God's ground and now life was difficult. His life was coming to an end, even if it was just a lie, it was still ending. He couldn't help but think of everything he failed to do. Perhaps it was because he was scared that even this vest wouldn't stop the Hawk's Eye. _  
_

_That you finally fall in love  
If today was your last day  
_

Once again, the instruments cut off until the last two words of that line. _  
_

_If today was your last day  
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?_

Ed looked away from the cheering crowd to look towards the sky. There was no turning back now. It was really going to happen._  
_

_You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars  
Regardless of who you are  
So do whatever it takes  
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life_

Ed looked away from the sky to face the audience once more. Oh, how desperately he wished he could rewind his life. There were so many moments that he wanted to rewind. There were so many mistakes, but all he was going to do was die here, very soon. _  
_

_Let nothin' stand in your way  
Cause the hands of time are never on your side  
__**  
'Don't I know it?!'**_Ed thought sadly. _  
_

_If today was your last day  
And tomorrow was too late  
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?_

_Would you live each moment like your last?_  
_Leave old pictures in the past_  
_Donate every dime you have?_  
_Would you call old friends you never see?_  
_Reminisce old memories_  
_Would you forgive your enemies?_  
_Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?_  
_Swear up and down to God above_  
_That you finally fall in love_  
_If today was your last day_

As the last word was sung, Edward bowed his head and let his hand with the pick drop to his side. With that, the instruments slowly died out.

"There is no escape." Edward whispered to himself as the applause from the audience assaulted his ears.

From the sidelines, Havoc smirked. So the kid really could sing. It was something amazing to find out in the end.

Mustang looked down at his pocket watch. It was now four eighteen. When he looked back up at the stage, it was to see Edward staring at him with fear shining in those golden eyes. It confused Mustang since the kid had no reason to be afraid. He wasn't really going to die.

On the roof not far away, Hawkeye took one more look at Edward to see him looking at the Colonel. He had deposited his guitar to one of the band members, probably the original owner of the guitar. Her finger tightened on the trigger. "I'm sorry, Edward." She whispered before she finally pulled the trigger.

BANG!

At the sound of a gun being fired, they were many screams of fear and people ducking down to the ground. Soldiers snapped in attention to surround their Fuhrer. Mustang and Havoc both made a show of kneeling on the ground to duck for their own cover as well.

Up on the stage, Edward decided that knowing a bullet was coming for you did not make it seem like it was happening in slow motion. The moment he heard the bang he had turned to look forward once more. There was nothing slow about it. The bullet had met its target so quickly, slamming right into Edward's chest that he didn't even have a chance. He stumbled back a step in shock at the pain that flared inside his whole body. He watched in horror at the blood that spurted from his chest.

BANG!

Edward coughed in shock at the second bullet that assaulted him.

BANG!

And with the third bullet, the pain became too much and he fell backwards in shock.

Before he could even hit the ground, he heard someone shout, "FULLMETAL!"

The pain of knocking his head against the ground of the stage was nothing compared to pain assaulting his chest. His head lolled to the side, eyes seeing the blood that was pouring around his body before the pain finally got to him and his eyes started to slide shut.

Once the third bullet was fired, Mustang knew it was over. He had agreed there would only be three shots. It was a longshot, but he was counting on Fullmetal to be able to stay up to get hit three times. He was a strong boy so he hoped it had work.

So when the third shot was heard, Mustang looked up to see Fullmetal falling back with blood flying through the air around him. "FULLMETAL!" He shouted before the boy hit the ground, which drew attention to the stage like Mustang expected.

Before anyone else could, Mustang flew up the stairs of the stage to reach his subordinate. From the other side, Havoc was doing the same, but Mustang paid him no heed as he fell to his knees next to his fallen subordinate. He didn't care that the boy's blood was getting all over him.

Panic began to stir over the entire crowd. Now that the gunshots have stopped, the civilians were looking up from their crouched positions in horror to see their very own hero lying down in his own blood on the stage.

"Oh, no." Gracia whispered in horror as she snatched up her daughter and covered her eyes. "Edward."

"Mama, what's going on?" Elicia asked sweetly. "Why is big brother lying down?"

Gracia buried her face her daughter's hair. She couldn't believe this. She had only met this boy yesterday. He was such a sweet child. Maes had brought him over yesterday to meet them. It was hard for her to believe that he was the Fullmetal Alchemists. His life must have been difficult since joining the military. She was scared for the boy, but she never expected something like this to happen. Not when there were so many soldiers around.

"Edward?" Hughes said hoarsely. He wanted to move, to get to that boy, but he couldn't leave his spot next to the Fuhrer. His job of protecting the Fuhrer came first, and he couldn't despise it more right now. He wanted to be with that boy to make sure he was safe. He couldn't be dead from that right? Even he has heard of the Fullmetal Alchemist who got injured a lot, but always came out of it alright. He was fine, right? Hughes kept his eyes moving from the surrounding area to Mustang and back. He was hoping Mustang would look up from Ed with a look of relief. That would tell Hughes that Ed was fine.

"Mama, what happened to Fullmetal?" A little boy asked his mother in horror. "He's alright, right?"

"They killed our hero." An adult growled angrily.

"How could anyone do this to a child? He may be a State Alchemist, but he is still just a child, and all he does is help the people." A woman said quietly in fear.

Their hero couldn't just be dead, could he?

Havoc kneeled next to his fallen boss. "Kid?" He whispered, hand moving to the boy's neck.

Mustang leaned over the boy, shifting his body around slightly so no one would notice the needle slipping from his sleeve. He gentle took the boy's flesh hand in his and slid the needle into the vein there. Once the injection was done, the needle was slipped into a pocket.

Havoc nodded his head. Whatever medicine the Colonel had found to inject Ed with was doing its job of slowing the boy's heartbeat and keeping the boy unconscious. "I can't feel a heartbeat." He said.

Hands clenching in anger, Mustang looked down at his subordinate once more before he flew to his feet and looked away from his subordinate. He couldn't look at the blood of a child and his youngest subordinate anymore. "I'm going to kill the bastard who did this." He snarled angrily.

"He's dead?" One of the band members said rather loudly, looking from the boy in horror to the Colonel in shock.

The band member's voice reached the ears of the civilians and soldiers nearby. Predictably, the soldiers were shocked and horrified that one of their own was killed right in front of them and they could do nothing to stop it. Also obvious, the civilians were horrified, scared, and angry. Their 'hero,' the only one to actually go around the country and help all the civilians, was gone. He was killed right in front of their eyes. The boy who did nothing wrong was killed, for what seemed to be no apparent reason.

From his position, surrounded by soldiers, Bradley looked at the fallen body of Fullmetal angrily. That boy was needed for his Father's plan, and some lowlife went and took his life. He was a prized State Alchemist. This was not going to end well for whoever did this. His military would make sure that they paid for this horrible deed.

**A/N: Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist **

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews!**

**AAAH! Freaking hell! This took a long time! Sorry, life is crazy so I am a bit distracted with everything. **

**Your Last Day **

**Chapter 4**

"Does someone want to explain this to me?"

Mustang smirked as Havoc leaned against the door to the morgue. "Not really, Knox." He said as he walked over to the autopsy table and looked down at his subordinate who was now only clothed in his pants. His bruised chest could clearly be seen by all. Those bullets, though not piercing his chest, had severely bruised him.

Knox tossed the bloody vest down onto another table. "He's not dead, is he?"

"You don't want to know. The less you know, the better." Mustang replied, looking down at his pale subordinate with a smirk. "I just need you to make a fake autopsy report."

Grumbling, Knox went over to his desk. "I dislike when you drag me into your plans."

"Hmm, just keep this quiet. No one outside this room, except Lieutenant Hawkeye and Breda, knows that this is fake." Mustang replied, tapping Edward on the forehead. "Oi, wake up, Fullmetal. The drug has to be out of your system by now."

Ed's brow twitched ever so slightly.

"Wakey, wakey." Mustang said in a childish tone as he continued to poke Ed's forehead. "Rise and shine, sunshine. The world is anew and your death has made the front page!"

Groaning, Ed swatted Mustang's hand away. "Go away. That's not something someone wants to hear upon waking up." The action of swatting caused another groan to escape Ed and he dropped his arm back to the table with a thump. His chest was so sore that moving his arm pulled at the muscles. "Are you sure only three bullets hit me? Feels like I was hit by a truck full of them."

"Yeah, pretty sure it was only three." Havoc said, pushing off the door to walk over to Ed with a newspaper in his hand. "Do you want to see your obituary? The reactions were better then we were expecting."

Ed grabbed the paper, crumbled it up in his automail hand, and threw it away. He gingerly pushed himself into a sitting position, shifting in agony at the pain flaring in his chest. "No, I don't, Havoc. I don't care to read about my death."

"Aww, you're no fun. Just think of all the great reactions you'll get when it is realized that you are alive." Havoc pointed out.

Ed scowled. "Yeah, I'll be killed by Winry and Al. And the next time someone orders my death, they're going to ask for my head on a silver platter to make sure I am really dead. They won't take any chances after this so thank you very much!"

"Just one of the risks of being a soldier." Havoc said with a shrug.

Rolling his eyes, Ed rolled his sore and stiff shoulder. "How long have I been out?"

Mustang, who had picked up the newspaper and was looking darkly at the picture of him and Havoc kneeling next to a fallen and shot Ed, looked up at him. "You've been unconscious for about sixteen hours now." He glanced at Ed's vest and shirt which were thrown on the next table. "There was a lot more blood then I was expecting."

"Yeah, well, don't expect to take any more blood from me again. I am never faking my death again." Ed grumbled, looking down at his bruised chest. Gingerly, he poked one of them and grimaced at the touch. "What's next?"

"Your funeral, tomorrow." Mustang replied. "You'll have to stay here until then, and you'll have to get all prepped for your funeral before you're buried. Afterwards–"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ed said frantically, waving his hands around. "You're actually going to bury me?!"

"Would you rather we cremate you?" Mustang asked sarcastically.

Ed paled. Suffocation or burning to death? Which was worse? Suffocation would be dragged out as he struggled for air the longer he was down there. Burning to death would be painful, but it would be over much faster.

Mustang rolled his eyes. "We are burying you, Fullmetal. We bought a coffin for a reason. Of course, you won't realize it and be able to panic, because we are giving you a smaller version of the drug I gave you earlier to keep you unconscious for a barely detectable pulse so no one realizes anything during your funeral service."

"I don't like the idea of being drugged and buried." Ed muttered, shuddering at the idea.

Mustang waved his fears off. "You'll be fine for a couple hours. Your funeral is scheduled for the evening. When it is over, we'll unbury you, but then we have to rebury the coffin."

"Eh?" Ed said, looking up from his bruises.

"Don't worry, Chief. You've been in worst situations." Havoc told him, clapping him on the shoulder. "You sure you don't want to read–"

Ed slapped Havoc's hand off his shoulder. "Yes, I am sure. I do not care to know what they have to say about my death in that paper."

"Oh? That paper? Then what about in another paper or a magazine or on the radio or–"

"No." Ed interrupted. He swung his feet over the edge of the autopsy table and looked at his Commanding Officer. "I don't want to hear what they are saying. My brother?"

Mustang folded the paper up, a dark look causing over his face.

***2*Hours*Ago*Resembool***

Alphonse sat outside Winry's house on the grass, watching the sun rise into the sky. It had been four days since his brother left for Central and he hasn't called once since then. That had really worried Al. His brother always called at least once when he had to leave for military business. It wasn't like him to not contact him at all.

It was even more upsetting to Al because his brother promised to call soon after he arrived and keep in contact to let him know if he was going to be back soon. Al was desperately hoping his brother would make it back for his birthday.

Sighing, Al got up and went over to the mailbox. Sitting outside and moping all day would not bring his brother back sooner. He pulled the newspaper out of it, taking a brief glance at the first page before folding it in half in his hand before he froze. He ripped the paper back open to stare at the picture on the front cover. It was Mustang and Havoc, covered in blood, kneeling by a fallen figure. Looking at the caption of the picture, Al was sure he would have passed out if he had his brother. _'Colonel Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist, and Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc kneeling next to fallen Major Edward Elric, The Fullmetal Alchemist.' _

"N-No! Th-this can't be right!" Al shouted, paper crinkling in his hands. "Major Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, murdered?" His eyes moved down to the article about his brother.

'_It was a day to celebrate. The Ishvalan Civil War ended five years ago and it was supposed to be a fun filled day filled with a parade, candy, and music. This fun filled day took a drastic turn towards the end. At the end of the ceremony that took place at the end of the parade, it was a surprise for everyone. The Fullmetal Alchemist, who wasn't even known to be in Central, was playing a song for us! _

_But all was not fun. At just fourteen years old, the youngest State Alchemist in history, Major Edward Elric was murdered on stage just moments after he finished his performance. He took three bullets to the chest before finally collapsing. Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Havoc were the first two to reach the young major and the ones to declare him dead. _

_His murderer was not caught and it is not known who it was. Not only was our very own Hero of the People killed in front of the military, but his killer has managed to escape them. Fuhrer King Bradley–' _

"AL!"

Al dropped the paper he was reading and looked up to see Winry running down her porch steps with a frantic look across her face. But what really grabbed his attention were the tears pouring down her face and the stumbling in her walk.

"Al!" Winry screamed again, running towards him, almost falling a few times in her haste. "E-Ed….he…he's been k-k-k…"

Al nodded, feeling mute now. Mute from shock. Mute from anger. Mute from hatred that he couldn't feel the pulsing feelings racing through his body. He was upset, mad, scared, and so much more, but he couldn't feel any of it. He could only think what he was feeling and know what it was, but he could not actually feel it in this armored body. And that just made it all the more horrible.

He was so shocked. He didn't think his brother could ever be killed, especially at a military function. There were so many officers and other State Alchemists around. Why was he killed? How was he even killed? There should have been so much protection around the place if the Fuhrer was there! So how did a killer get in? Why did a killer target his brother? His brother didn't deserve death!

Then there was the anger racing through his mind. Somebody had stolen his brother from him! His brother was supposed to always remain with him and some sick murderer took him from him! There was also anger for Mustang. Mustang had once told him he would do everything he could to protect his brother. He would never allow anything to happen to him when he was around. So where the hell was Mustang when his brother was being shot?

Then there was the hatred. Al has never once in his life hated anyone, until now. Edward was the only family he had left. They were supposed to protect each other, and yet this happened! The person who took his brother from him deserved any and all hatred he had cursing through him. His brother was murdered and he didn't even know why! He didn't even need a reason. There was never a reason to kill someone.

"I-I-I k-know, Win." Al shouted before clambering into the house. The newspaper could be wrong. His brother could still be safe. He had to call Mustang!

***Central*Headquarters***

Mustang rested his elbows on his desk and laced his fingers together to hide his lower face behind them. He looked at the soldiers sitting at the desks in front of him with narrowed eyes. None of them were working with their usual vigor and Mustang could not blame them. They had all come from the east with him so they were some of the ones that saw Edward quite a bit. To suddenly see him shot to death affected them greatly, especially since they were there to see it. They saw their youngest cruelly ripped away from this life.

Sighing, Mustang looked down at his phone. As much as he didn't want to, he would have to inform Al of his brother's death, even if it was just fake. He had to follow complete protocol if they were to make this convincing. He hated to do this to Al, but they had to be convincing.

Just as he was reaching for the phone, it started to ring, surprising the Colonel enough to cause him to freeze. He woke up after a moment and grabbed the phone. "Colonel Mustang here." He said into the phone. "….Alphonse?"

Breda looked up from his desk upon hearing that name. He knew Mustang had been thinking about making the call to the Chief's little brother. It was always hard to make calls to the family after someone was killed. No one liked having to break the news.

"Al?" Mustang asked again. "Are you still there?"

"….Colonel…" Al said softly, and by his tone, Mustang could tell he was highly upset. "I-is it true?"

Mustang's eyes slid shut in frustration. He had wanted to inform Al before he got the news from the paper or the radio. "I'm afraid it is, Alphonse."

After he said that, Alphonse didn't speak again. It was silent on his side of the phone for a few minutes, and Mustang allowed him to stay silent. He wanted to hurry this conversation and get off the phone, but that would not help Al.

"….How?" Al demanded.

Mustang leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. What did Alphonse want him to tell him? He was sure that wherever he learned about Ed's death from told him how it happened.

"You were supposed to keep him safe, Colonel." Al said calmly.

The Colonel almost winced at Al's tone. It was so quiet and soft, not an ounce of accusation in it. Even though this was a fake death, the lack of accusation and the lack of yelling from Alphonse made everything worse. It made it that much harder for Mustang.

"Al–" Mustang started, but was cut off by the tone dial. He stared at the phone for a moment before sighing and putting it down. Hanging up like that wasn't like Al, but he couldn't blame the boy. He thought he just lost his brother. Al would be extremely upset over that.

***Present*Time***

"I see." Ed said, head bowed so his bangs shadowed his face. His hands gripped the edge of the table more tightly. "So he won't be there for my funeral?"

"There's no way he'll make it in time for it." Mustang replied.

Ed nodded. "Good, good. I don't want him there for it, but you know, he's going to be coming here."

"I know, which is why we need to get this next phase finished quickly." Mustang said.

"Right." Ed said, rubbing his temple. "How do we do this?"

Havoc clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'll be by early tomorrow to give you what you need in preparation for the funeral."

"And to knock me out?" Ed groaned.

"Of course."

Ed moaned.

"Oh, enjoy your time right now, Chief. After tomorrow, the real challenge begins." Havoc said.

"I'm stuck in a morgue for the next twenty-four hours. How can I have fun?" Ed snapped.

"Relax and clear your mind, Fullmetal." Mustang said as he approached the door to the morgue. "You'll need to be able to think clearly for this mission. Dr. Knox." He looked at the doctor, who now looked up from his desk. "Please keep people out of the morgue until Fullmetal is gone. If it is not possible, just hide Fullmetal so he isn't seen."

Dr. Knox turned back to his desk, muttering to himself.

"See ya, Chief." Havoc said cheerfully as he followed his boss out of the morgue.

Sighing, Ed looked up at Dr. Knox before looking next to him to see the newspaper that Mustang left there. He couldn't believe that he got himself dragged into a mess like this.

***4*Days*Ago***

"So, Havoc, tell me, how is my death going to pull your Drachma buddies out?" Edward asked, turning the gun in his hands around to look at it from all angles.

"Well, we sent Lieutenant Hawkeye in to gain the trust of the Drachmans to pull them out. They are not just going to appear in front of her. She's Amestrian. They don't trust her. To gain their trust, she has to do missions for them. And killing one of Amestris's most prized State Alchemists in front of the military and civilians without getting caught–"

"Will get their trust much faster then just killing a bunch of unimportant people for them." Ed finished.

Havoc nodded. "Correct." He released the magazine from his gun and slammed it back in absent mindlessly. "Plus, they have to pay her for the job. If she can earn their trust, she can get closer to their leader and gather more information that way."

"Sounds dangerous." Ed muttered.

The blond Lieutenant stared at him for a moment before leaning in closer to him. "Chief, it's dangerous, but she is trained for things like this. The real trouble is that if you are spotted after you are killed, the news will spread and it could potentially lead to the Lieutenant's death because the Drachmans will think she has made plans with the military. Once you are killed, you have to make sure You Are. Not. Seen."

**A/N: Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist **

**A/N: Oh, god, sorry for the update taking a while. I've been distracted and busy and forgot how much I love this story! Oh well, college is starting up again in a few days so my updates will be slowing down anyway. **

**Thanks for the reviews! **

**Your Last Day **

**Chapter 5**

Despite knowing the truth that Ed's death was in fact all fake and he was alive, even Havoc was feeling solemn and depressed as he walked down to the morgue to get his young boss prepped for his funeral. The air all around was dark and gloomy, from soldiers and civilians. Even those in the military that didn't particularly like Ed were a bit sad. If Havoc had to guess, he would have to say it was because no one liked burying a kid. And this wasn't just any kid, but a comrade of theirs. It would be a dark day for all.

At least feeling the mood in the air put him in the same mood so no one would question why he wasn't feeling sad over Ed's death.

Feeling highly down, Havoc entered the morgue to see Ed sitting cross legged on the autopsy table, staring blankly at the wall. "Hey Ch–"

"Won't people be suspicious about you coming down here so much?" Edward interrupted, turning to look at him with dark eyes.

Grimacing, Havoc put his bag on the table next to Ed. "No, they'll probably just think I want to see my young boss in private. You okay?"

Ed's eyes narrowed. "Okay? I'm about to be drugged and buried alive! My brother and Winry think I'm dead!" He lowered his voice a notch so Dr. Knox wouldn't hear him. "And I'm about to go deep undercover and I don't even know what for! You never explained what I am supposed to be doing after my funeral!"

Havoc clapped him on the shoulder, giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about that yet, Chief. Right now, we have a funeral to survive."

"Great." Ed muttered, grabbing the bag that Havoc dropped next to him. He pulled out, to his huge distaste, a military uniform and his pocket watch, which was taken away after his 'death' because it was covered in blood. Now it was cleaned and polished. Why, he had no idea since no one was going to see it. The last thing he pulled out was a .45 caliber gun and a mag. He stared at it in confusion.

Seeing the confusion, Havoc coughed into his hand. "It's just a precaution in case something happens to you before we can dig you out."

"Something happens to me?" Ed echoed. "I am being buried, Havoc! What is going to happen to me underground?"

"Well, someone could try to rob your grave or the Drachmans could come for your body." Havoc said with a shrug, earning a look of horror from Ed in return. He held up his hands. "Now, don't worry, Ed. It most likely won't happen, especially since you are not going to be buried long before we come to get you. It's just a precaution. Also the Colonel wanted me to remind you that after we dig you up, no alchemy, not even with transmutation circles."

Edward groaned. Damn Colonel was making him rely solely on weapons then. Oh, how he hated this mission so damn much. "Any other restrictions you'd like to give me?" He asked sarcastically as he put the gun and mag down, turning his sharp eyes to his friend.

"Yeah, actually." Havoc replied, making Ed groan in frustration. "This one shouldn't be any trouble for you though. Keep your automail hidden."

"My automail?"

Havoc nodded. "We noticed how unique it is in design. Anyone's who's seen it knows how special it is. Your friend has got some real talent. As for your eyes. We can't do anything about the color of them so if you take those and add in your automail, it will make people suspicious."

"You do realize that even without my automail, my face is pretty discernible." Edward pointed out. He looked down at the gun again and picked it up to put the mag in.

The Lieutenant coughed nervously into his hand. "Did we not tell you this part?"

Ed's eyes narrowed dangerously at Havoc as he looked up from the gun. He had pretty distinct features so he was noticeable anywhere he went. No one else had gold eyes like his, except Hohenheim and his brother, though neither could very well show their eyes right now and were not much help since they were family. Gold eyes seemed to only be a trait for them. Then there was his gold-blond hair. He couldn't very well hide that unless Mustang had something planned that would make Ed want to kill him.

"Okay, guess we didn't." Havoc said nervously. "So…" He scratched the back of his head. "Okay, first, your eyes. They are too easily known as yours so the only thing we can do is give you sunglasses and say you have an eye problem which makes you have to wear sunglasses since the light can make it worse."

"Sounds manageable." Ed said, though he was still frowning at Havoc.

Havoc gave a small smile. Now came the hard part. "We're going to cut your hair and dye it black. You're going to be the Colonel's cousin coming here for a visit."

The State Alchemist stared at Havoc for a moment, letting the information soak in. Cut his hair? Oh, hell no! He couldn't cut it after all this time and lose his blond hair? No! He liked his blond hair. And why did he have to be Mustang's cousin? Why not Havoc's or Hawkeye's? They both have blond hair! Granted, Hawkeye wasn't around so that wouldn't really work. But still, there was Havoc!

"No!"

Havoc shrugged. "It's not up for debate, Chief. Tonight or tomorrow morning your hair is going to be cut then dyed. We need to change it."

"Havoc!"

"Sorry, we can't let you be seen or thought of as the Fullmetal Alchemist. It will get Lieutenant Hawkeye killed." Havoc replied harshly.

That got Edward to shut his mouth. If people realized he was actually alive and it got back to the Drachmans, they would realize that Hawkeye lied about killing him. It could blow her whole cover. And if she got killed by them, it would be on his hands for foolishly keeping his appearances the same.

"It's just hair, Chief. The dye will wear out and your hair will grow back eventually." Havoc said sympathetically.

Ed just shrugged. "Whatever." He looked down at the uniform, messing with the sleeves. "How do I wear this?"

Blue eyes blinked in confusion. "What?" When Ed just stared at him, Havoc put a hand to his head. "You never wore the uniform before this, did you?"

"No. Why do I have to wear it now?" Ed demanded.

"Argh, Chief, you're still considered a soldier of the military, even if you just believe yourself to be a State Alchemist. Since you're a soldier, you're to be buried in the uniform." Havoc said, and when Ed scowled at him, he sighed. "It's just required and it will only be for a few hours. Colonel and I will have clothes waiting for you when we unbury you."

Ed looked down at the uniform then back at Havoc. "You better. This thing looks so stiff and uncomfortable. How can you guys wear it?"

"You get used to it. Now." Havoc said, pointing to the stars on the uniform. "You have been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel for dying. Since you did not die in the line of duty, you were only promoted one rank."

Ed raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, but don't get used to it, Chief." Havoc said, crushing all of Ed's dreams. "Since you are not really dead and will be coming out of this alive at the end, you will probably lose the rank. And since you are considered dead right now, it's not like you can do anything with the rank."

Ed's head fell down, dejected. "It's so pointless then."

"Guess so." Havoc said before looking Ed up and down. The boy was dressed in the same pants he was shot in so there was still blood on them and a simple white t-shirt that he guessed Knox got him at some point after he and Mustang left yesterday. "Well, strip, Chief."

Ed shot him an annoyed look. "Don't say that. It sounds so weird."

Chuckling, Havoc reached for a cigarette before freezing and remembering who he was in the presence of. Hawkeye made a rule when Ed joined their team. No smoking in front of the boy because if he got sick from second hand smoke, she would kill him. Damn Hawkeye and her maternal instincts.

As he watched Ed remove his t-shirt, Havoc grimaced at the dark bruises still covering Ed's chest. Having to shoot Ed already bothered Hawkeye enough. If she saw these bruises, she would be upset at what she had done to him.

Ed jumped off the autopsy table and quickly removed his bloody pants before tossing them onto the table next to his t-shirt. Havoc tossed him a black undershirt which Ed quickly put on. The shirt was skin tight against his chest, which did bother him a bit as he wasn't used to such clothes. He then grabbed the pants with that stupid skirt on it and quickly pulled them on. Once he got them buttoned, he hopped back onto the autopsy table and took the boots and slipped them on.

"Couldn't you at least have gotten me my normal boots?" Ed grumbled.

"What would be the point when you won't be wearing them after this?" Havoc said with a shrug.

"What?" Ed asked sharply.

Havoc rolled his eyes. "Undercover, kid. You do know what that means right? Nothing you wear or carry can trace back to who you were before." While Ed scowled, Havoc smirked. "Which includes your name, Chief. Your new name is now Blake Mustang."

At that, Edward came very close to screaming his lungs out, but restrained himself when Havoc shot him a look. Right, if he screamed, even if he was down in the morgue, it would still draw people here, and if he was seen, they were all screwed. "Does my last name really have to be _that_?" He spat.

"You are his cousin, so yes, Chief, it has to be that." Havoc said with a sigh as he picked up the military jacket.

Ed took it from him and looked at it from all sides with a frown. The way this thing zipped and snapped shut was just too weird.

Rolling his eyes, Havoc took the jacket back and helped the kid put it on. Once it was through his arms, Havoc tugged hard on it to straighten it. After it was straight, Havoc went to work quickly and with ease zipping the jacket then buttoning it while Ed shifted around uncomfortably. "Ed, I can do this easily, but you have to hold still." Havoc mumbled and once Ed stopped moving, Havoc finished faster. Then he grabbed the cords for the jacket out of the bag and went to work properly putting them on.

While Ed fingered the cords a bit, Havoc pulled white gloves, a syringe, and a small jar of a drug out of the bag, Havoc threw Ed's other clothes in it. Ed gave the syringe a disgruntle look, but chose not to say anything and just took the gloves and pulled them up before getting his pocket watch hooked up to his belt.

"Ready, Chief?" Havoc asked.

"No." Ed replied as he slipped a holster on his side and put his gun it, though he gave it a nasty look.

Grimacing, Havoc filled the syringe with the drug and waved it slowly in front of Ed's face. "Too bad. It's time to go back to sleep, Chief."

"I've been sleeping too much recently." Ed snapped as Havoc took his arm and pushed the sleeve of his jacket up and pulled his glove a bit down his hand.

"I swear, Chief, this is the last time." Havoc assured as he tapped the boy's wrist a few times.

Ed grimaced as he stared at the needle. "At least the last time I was already half out of it from being hit by those bullets." He mumbled as Havoc started to slide the needle into his vein. He winced and looked away. "Look, Havoc, how l–Woah."

As Ed wobbled on the table, Havoc quickly removed the needle and caught Ed, who fell onto his shoulder so he wouldn't fall off the table. "Yep," Havoc grunted against the boy's weight. "It's going to be a long day." He laid the boy on the table with some difficulty. With Ed already out it, it was up to Havoc to finish making the boy look presentable for his funeral. When he looked respectable, Havoc grabbed the bag full of his clothes off the table. When he grabbed it, he heard a jangle sound followed by a clang. Looking down at the floor, he saw the military tags they gave Ed lying there.

Havoc dropped the bag to the ground and bent over to pick the tags up. He lifted Ed's limp head and slipped the tags over it. Instead of tucking them under his jacket, Havoc left the tags out in the open on top of Ed's jacket. After picking up his bag, Havoc left the morgue and the supposedly dead Edward.

***4*Hours*Later* **

Mustang bowed his head as he heard the guns being fired at Ed's funeral as his coffin was lowered into the ground. The funeral was taking much longer then it normally did because of all the civilians that came to Ed's wake. So many people had shown up for it that it took longer to get through it. Mustang hated it when all those people showed up. None of them personally knew Ed. They only knew his name, and whether they respected him or not didn't matter. Because of them wasting time, Ed was going to wake up a lot sooner then he was supposed to while buried, which just gave Mustang and Havoc less time to work with!

Raising his head just a bit, Mustang watched the other soldiers' who had their heads bowed. Some of the women soldiers from the east even had a few tears spilling down their faces. Mustang didn't know them that well, but he did hear some of them talking yesterday about what a sweetheart Ed was and how they would miss him. Apparently Ed was making impressions with soldiers behind his back. Not to mention the other soldiers he heard talking about what Ed did to help them when he was at Eastern Command.

Looking back at the ground, Mustang grimaced. It shouldn't have taken Ed faking his death for Mustang to realize these things about his subordinate. He should already know what goes on with Ed and the soldiers in the military, like he knows what the boy does during his travels. It was his job to know, and yet he didn't!

Besides him stood Hughes, who, while not crying, did look grim and like he had a few tears in his eyes. Hughes had only known Ed for two days, and already he was so close to the boy. Well, that and the fact that Hughes had a thing about keeping kids save. Mustang didn't think he ever got over it when he heard that a child became a State Alchemist. And he knew Hughes was upset over that because the moment he heard that it was a Colonel Roy Mustang who brought the kid into the military, Mustang got a very unhappy call from Hughes.

Mustang looked back up to watch the soldiers throw the dirt onto Fullmetal's coffin. It was a mission, but the farther they got in this mission, the more Mustang saw how much this was hurting everyone. Al was devastated at hearing that Ed was dead, which was made even worse because he heard about it from a newspaper, instead of Mustang like he was supposed to! The soldiers from the east liked Edward as well. Sure, Ed was temperamental and reckless, but they liked teasing him and he did always help them when he could or needed to apparently.

Those working on this mission were just in shock. They thought he was going to protect Ed and keep him safe from being killed. Those on his team were horrified about what happened. They couldn't believe that Mustang actually failed in keeping his own subordinate safe. He always protected them, so why did he mess up this time?

And those who knew Ed's death was fake?

They were taking it so unbelievably hard, especially Hawkeye. She hated having to shoot Ed. It was for the mission, but Hawkeye still hated it. If she made even the slightest mistake earlier, it would have truly been the end of Ed. Killing when it was real was easy. Killing when it was to fake a death? Unbelievably hard. Even an ace like Hawkeye would find it truly difficult.

Which is why Hawkeye snuck into Ed's wake in disguise where she spoke subtly to Havoc in the back. She was only there for a few minutes before she left. Mustang thought it was a foolish move, but considering how many people were there and she was in disguise, he didn't believe she was found out. If they had to, they could just say she was Havoc's girlfriend since that was who she was talking to.

Breda, who hasn't seen Ed since before his fake death, was close to thinking his death was real since he hasn't seen Ed breathing or talking. Havoc saw the kid and spoke with him, but even the dark mood in the air was getting to him and putting him down, which was good to keep it real, but Mustang knew he was truly worried about burying Ed alive. It wasn't something any of them wanted to do. There could be any number of potential things that could go wrong with this, but they really didn't have much choice here.

As the funeral ended and soldiers began to slowly leave, Mustang approached the grave and stared down at the headstone. The headstone that read:

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Elric  
The Fullmetal Alchemist  
1899-1913  
"Forever will Fullmetal be remembered as a faithful  
solider, comrade, brother, friend, and  
'The Hero of the People.'"

"They really made you into a full soldier after your death. I'm sorry, Fullmetal. This has taken away who you truly are." Mustang whispered, bowing his head a bit. He knew it was fake, but this whole funeral put him edge and was tearing at his heart. And it made him think, what if Ed did die on a mission? And it wasn't fake like this? What if he did truly die one day and Mustang couldn't do anything to stop it? This funeral was bad enough. He didn't think he could take attending Ed's real funeral.

"Colonel." Havoc said.

Mustang nodded and turned to leave with Havoc. "We'll have to come back sooner then we planned for." He whispered to Havoc.

"Yes sir."

Mustang looked back at Ed's grave where Hughes was still standing with his wife and daughter. After a moment of staring, he looked away, missing the fact that Hughes turned to look at him with cold eyes.

**A/N: Sheesh, nothing happened in this chapter. But things will start heating up in the next chapter! Be prepared for it!**

**Please Review!**


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